You have estate & financial planning questions - we have answers! Send us an email at Info@Tetrant.com if you don't see your question.
WHAT IS A "TETRANT"?
According to "The Progressive Dictionary of the English Language" published in 1885 a Tetrant is: "One of the four equal parts into which the area of a circle is divided by two diameters drawn at right angles to each other." (Hence the idea for our logo) Click here to see a digital copy of the dictionary in Google Books.
IS TETRANT LEGAL A LAW FIRM?
Yes. We also own a subsidiary company called Tetrant Advisory LLC which is a full service Registered Investment Advisor in the State of Arizona. Through Tetrant Legal and our subsidiary we are able to offer our clients a full lineup of estate and financial planning solutions.
WHAT AREAS OF THE LAW DOES TETRANT LEGAL FOCUS ON?
Tetrant Legal focuses on estate planning and some aspects of business law. We also incorporate financial planning solutions through our subsidiary Tetrant Advisory LLC.
DOES TETRANT LEGAL OFFER A FREE CONSULTATION?
Yes. Click here to schedule online or call us at (480) 744-0585.
WHAT IS "ESTATE PLANNING"?
The simple answer... it is (1) taking an inventory of what "stuff" you have, (2) figuring out who you want that stuff to go to, and then (3) figuring out how to make that happen (will, trust, beneficiary designations, etc.).
The long answer... Estate planning involves anything that could impact your estate such as your personal budget, retirement, insurance policies, real estate, healthcare, end-of-life decisions, etc. Traditional estate planning focused on the documents needed to manage or transfer an estate (will, trust, power of attorney, etc.) - at Tetrant Legal we take a more comprehensive approach looking at all areas of your financial life and how they might impact your estate.
Rob Siddoway is a Certified Financial Planner® and Tetrant Legal owns a Registered Investment Advisory firm giving us the necessary tools, licensing, and knowledge to help you setup and maintain a comprehensive estate plan.
DO I NEED A WILL OR A TRUST?
It depends. This is kind of like asking 'which car is best?' - it is hard to say and completely depends on the situation of the person. This is why we offer a free consultation to come in, sit down, tell us your story, and then talk about which estate planning vehicles might be best for you. Click here to schedule a no-obligation consultation.
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?
This can be answered two ways. First, our pricing is completely transparent and can be found by visiting the Pricing page. Second, there may be a much bigger cost if you do nothing, or don't do it correctly. Here's your homework: call a couple of local probate attorneys and ask them how much it costs on average to do probate on an estate. This should give you a pretty good idea as to how you should proceed and what the "true" cost is.
WHAT IF I DON'T HAVE ANY TYPE OF PLAN?
Guess what? Even if you have never drafted an estate plan, you still have a plan! In Arizona, the distribution of your estate will be governed by Title 14 of the Arizona Revised Statutes (ARS). What does that mean? Basically, your estate will go through the probate process without the help of a will or other documents to help guide the judge, they will simply use the ARS to figure out how to distribute your assets. See the answer for "IS PROBATE REALLY THAT BAD?" for additional information.
AREN'T BENEFICIARY DESIGNATIONS GOOD ENOUGH?
It depends. Many times a beneficiary designation is sufficient to pass an account or other asset to your heirs - but what if... the heir predeceses you? What if there is some confusion as to who it was really meant for (There are 3 Robert Siddoways in my family)? What if... you get the idea. While beneficiary designations are a commonly used estate planning technique, a properly constructed estate plan can help alleviate some of the risks of "what if" scenarios.
IS PROBATE REALLY THAT BAD?
It depends. If cost, time, and publicity are not an issue then probate will work just fine to distribute an estate - this can only be determined on a case-by-case basis. Keep in mind that probate is a public court process that is governed by state law and in Arizona it requires a minimum of six months to complete. If you need to hire an attorney to help in the probate procedure, the cost may exceed that of a well drafted trust.
DO YOU OFFER FINANCIAL PRODUCTS AND SERVICES?
Yes. Tetrant LLC (DBA: Tetrant Legal) is the sole owner of a Registered Investment Advisory firm called Tetrant Adviosry LLC (Registered in the state of AZ - See our disclosures for more information). This affiliation along with all of the personal insurance and financial licensing carried by Rob Siddoway (the owner) allows us to offer and coordinate financial products and services at the same time your estate plan is being developed.
DOES TETRANT LEGAL OFFER IN-HOME VISITS?
Yes. Depending on need, accomodations can be made to travel to your home or another convenient location. Currently we serve clients in the following towns/cities: Chandler, Gilbert, Mesa, Tempe, Apache Junction, Queen Creek, Gold Canyon, and San Tan Valley.